Ahhh, I do love Halloween. I do. With the various blogs hosting Halloween-y (haha: I said weeny) challenges, it's been interesting to read different crafter's takes on their various levels of Halloween enthusiasm. It was thought-provoking because I always say, "I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!" enthusiastically... but what do I love? I love the dark and macabre to the cutesy and sweet... I've articulated in my mind that I don't really like the scary-gory (chainsaws, gory body parts)... but I do like the scary classic vampire stuff... see? We all have our own grey area! Very neat to consider. Or maybe I'm just a total nerd. (Yep, that's it.)

I began with this box a month ago thinking I'd bring it to work for the kids to enjoy but never did anything with it but crackle the top. Then early on Friday morning an idea came to me! So I've been adding a bit here and there, and now I'm done:

We were so busy Friday and Saturday... I did my crafting in bits, and sometimes that works, but I think it resulted in a slightly disjointed project here: the graveyard scene doesn't really go with the vintage-feel of the cover, but it is all a little spooky. At least this little project has inspired me to think about what I would do different next time-- pay attention to cohesiveness, for example...

I want to say that the inside of the lid (the crow side) had a darker background than it apears in the image. Oooh, and you should know that the moon with the bats is hanging free, so it kind of wobbles! Cute!

I was randomly drawn for the gift certificate for the My Favorite Things store for an MFT Color Challenge last month, and since I am desperately trying to limit my craft-spending due to the building of a craft-shack (lots of money has gone there), I ordered something that the GC would cover. I got Gold Texture-luxe paste!

Faber-Castell Texture-luxe gold paste pasted through an old (read "hella-old") Provo Craft stencil and sprinkled with Stampendous Frantage in Shabby White, heated over my toaster (ummm, I use a toaster for embossing over 90% of time...that's how my mom taught me in the late 80s/early 90s)

Made the sentiment with my Zig emboss writer and some pewter powder, then cut it out casually (quick, imperfect), edged with metallic Color Box, and popped it up at a cant.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Darn it all if the tiles didn't stagger like I'd envisioned... but the card served its purpose: gave it to a friend who started her fight in May of 2013. She's growing her hair, and still meeting doctors multiple times a month... and she completely freakin' rocks!

I gave her the card, and said, "I'm thinking you're 'over' the whole 'Think Pink' thing, but I'm going to acknowledge that you've had a helluva ride, and you rock!..." She thanked me for the card, and I said, "we could pretend like nothing happened, or we can go, 'yeah, that was a crazy ride, and you're still dealing with it. ..'" (Basically, dude, anyone who goes through it will battle forever. It is life-changing. I respect that.)

Anyway... sorry. So, is life-changing for the lady going through it, but also for family and friends. Go, Mrs. T!

Friday, October 16, 2015

So quick and easy. I had an old K & Company die-cut butterfly and I added some easy gold foil over top of some Zig 2-Way glue. I had a scrap of off-white textured paper and I cut the edges with a paper scorer (a fave technique of mine) and laid it over the top of a gold/mustardy card. This is not what I would call my style, but once I began to assemble it, it reminded me of some of my grandmother's old stationary-- very 1960s. I think this card turned out neat in a retro-sort-of way. It will definitely get used as stationary.

The sentiment and cups are both Verve. For the sentiment I stamped the woodgrain All Night Media with Color Box metallic platinum (looks brownish though... maybe my label is wrong), and I daubed the lower parts of the cups with Tim Holtz's Distress Ink in Frayed Burlap, then painted leaves and pumpkin with Viva Paper Pearls in Light Moss and Stickles in Mercury Glass

I used a Martha Stewart stencil with some Stampendous Aged Gold frantage

I used Stampendous's Shabby White frantage across it all.

I have to say, I had the hardest time choosing the banner color... I could have gone red and white striped, polka dots... anything would have worked! I also considered painting his nose red... ahh, the possibilities! Here, I'll show you the scraps I considered:

Friday, October 9, 2015

Isn't that so cute? I love all things Halloween, but I just crumble for vintage Halloween stuff, and this witch is so fabulous... see the little black cats on her garb? And check out her broom: I had to fussy-cut her, and so I cut out the broom handle and added a little willow twig! :)

Obviously, I used one of my library cards (the book title was "The Witch Who Saved Halloween") and I typed the little greeting on my typewriter on a scrap of paper from an antique book. The witch was from an Authentique DP. (I guess I'm rambling because this card has some cool vintage components that came together! The card, the ribbon, the greeting scrap... hecka old! Neat to wonder where all these parts were 50 years ago, and how did they end up on a Halloween ATC at my kitchen table...)

Well, I came across a non-politically correct book in the library, and so I thought give it new life with a craft or two! (I always evaluate the use something will get as an item used for its purpose [in this case, a book], or used in an unconventional way [in this case, cards!])

... And I know that life is too short to set my favorite clothes aside and keep the china up... use that stuff! Every day is a gift.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

I love scrap-buster sketches! That's what initially drew me in to Freshly Made Sketches #207... though I ended up using Halloween paper that wasn't necessarily scraps... yet...

Here's the sketch:

& here's my little number:

The paper is all mixed up: American Crafts, Graphic 45, and the image card is from Authentique. Boom: added some Viva Paper Pearls in Anthracite and I was done with a freshly made Halloween card. I'd usually embellish more, but this will be easy to mail. (Ahh, the things only card makers consider...)

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Did this while the girls and I were water-coloring. I embossed a bunch of sayings that I wrote with my Zig Emboss Writer, using Custar's Last Stamp embossing powder in silver. The twine is True Hemp. I used a We R Memory Keepers sticker popped up with dimensional over the bow. I cut the pink paper to be the shape of a Polaroid... think it turned out pretty cute. I have lots of friends who need to "Hang in there" now!

Omg, Mojo Monday #418 came around and I was like, "I'm doing it!" I've been so busy, and then lacking mojo... I just needed some Mojo Monday!

Here's the sketch:

And here's my card:

The girls and I were water-coloring the other night and I "duded-up" an old due date card that had some overspray on it... it was in sight when I fired up my mojo. The stars are some wood shapes from Target. Ummmm, perfect for the sketch! Doodlebug twine. Viva Paper Pearls in red. Thickers letters. I also offset the black panel on purpose... I think it looks a little more casual and fun that way.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

I participated in the Society of Stampaholics September Card Chain Challenge last month. It was my first time, and it was very cool to make a card for a fellow crafter. I plan to participate again this month.

This is the card I sent to my recipient (Linda in Michigan):

Here's the folded view:

And I even decorated the shipping envelope a little:

(Unfortunately, it sounds like my sender had a helluva week... I haven't gotten a card yet, but when I do, I'll add it to this post.)

The month-long challenge at Crafting By Designs is Anything Goes! Yay! I haven't entered very many "anything goes" challenges, but I'm glad this came up on my radar because... I was making a card with "dream" as a theme for a CAS challenge... well, I didn't make a CAS card. My craftiness took over and I went with my he(ART).

So, in case it's on the tip of your memory, the words are from The Cranberries song "Dreams"... perfect! Obviously all done on a library card, then stenciled using Tim Holtz's Distress Inks through Heidi Swapp stencils. I popped up the lyrics with dimensional tape, then daubed it roughly with Distress ink, then glazed lightly with Clear Rock Candy crackle paint. .. same with the Thickers "dreams."